How deep to place a deadman anchor for a slackline

anchorfastening

I want to place a permanent anchor for a slackline in my parents' backyard. I looked around at the different options, but I don't have access to some of them (e.g. no duckbill anchors), so I think I will go for the deadman anchor option as in this video.

I also found a diagram for what it should look like, but I am taken aback at the suggested trench depth of 3-4 foot.

diagram of anchor setup

I will be digging with a hoe and my own two hands. The soil where we live gets quickly into compacted clay, after maybe only 2 feet of something more humuslike – my father tells me he once rented an excavator to make a posthole and it needed over half an hour for that hole (operated by somebody experienced, not by my father).

So, I wonder if the diagram I found is not overly sturdy, and if I could get away with a shallower trench. Especially since this diagram also foresees getting concrete poured into the ground, and the person in that video gets away with just a buried length of pipe.

I found a slackline calculator and it says that the normal load will be in the 7-8 kN range, and possibly up to 11 kN under some circumstances (e.g. if it gets tightened a lot and somebody heavy tries to walk on it). So let's say I want the whole line to hold up to 15-17 kN just in case (that's breaking load, not nominal load). There is a tree to hold one side up. For the second side, if I bury a 3 feet long pipe with maybe 2 inches diameter, what depth should I choose?

Best Answer

It’s based on the 1) angle of repose, and 2) weight of soil, and 3) length of deadman.

7-8kn equals about 1500 - 1,800 lbs.

If the angle of repose is about 45 degrees and your soil weighs about 80 lbs. per cubic foot, then you’ll need about 2,000 lbs. (safety factor) resisting.

Therefore, you need to bury your deadman about 3’ deep if the deadman is 3’ long. (I’d compact all material in the ground.)

I’d worry about a 2” diameter deadman getting pulled through the soil and compacting the soil immediately adjacent to the deadman. You’ll need a wider diameter deadman, such as a 12” wide x 3’ long steel plate welded onto your 2” pipe.

Adjust accordingly for your 15-17kn.